USMNT attendances for friendlies have been awful for about ten years, unless they're played in a novelty location like Chattanooga.
Going back to 2010 there were 18,000 at Carson against Honduras and 21,000 in Tampa against El Salvador, for Camp Cupcake games. These days you'd struggle to break 10k against those opponents.
I don’t think it’s debatable that crowd turnout generally has fallen. But it’s not for that we can turn out 60,000 for a game against Brazil or 37,000 for a game against Germany. Now some of this is when we play a team like Columbia they have a huge diaspora that turns out but even considering that we turn out way bigger crowds for the better international teams.
Numbers just seem to falter when national team chatter is dominated by poor results or negativity. Post-2014 World Cup through the end of 2016, attendance numbers started mediocre and became worse. There was definitely a malaise that followed the team even after the Round of 16 appearance in 2014. My general observation is that 2014 was much easier for casuals to rationalize, but the more invested US fans who are willing to show up in the entire World Cup cycle were the ones who swallowed 2014 with a more poisonous aftertaste. Then attendance numbers really plummeted starting in mid-2015, IMO due to the combination of the abysmal Gold Cup performance, the soaring negativity about the team in general, and then the resurgence of the US Women providing another option. Attendance numbers were actually better in the friendlies played in 2017. Then the team failed at the final stage... 2018 collapsed for obvious reasons and was only somewhat sustained by USSF focusing on selecting matches and venues to maximize opponent team attendance. 2019 started decently in the full team matches but faltered later in the year. But attendance numbers clearly recovered in 2021 and 2022 for the few international friendly matches that the team was able to fit into the schedule (Costa Rica in 2021, Morocco and Uruguay in 2022). The Berhalter-Reyna story bleeding into 2023 was a huge problem IMO because it again caused the team to be surrounded by negative chatter, even with the dominant Nations League win in 2023. The one Berhalter specific angle that seems to have caused problems for attendance numbers the last few years was his preference for playing at the same few venues, ones that had plenty of soccer matches to choose from now in the mid-2020s.
Updated list of host locations for international matches with full national teams available in the 2020s where the USSF had full power to select a venue (WCQs, Nations League group matches, and friendlies). 2021 to the end of 2024: 4 - Austin 3 - Cincinnati, Orlando 2 - Columbus, Kansas City, Minneapolis, Nashville, St. Louis 1 - Hartford, Salt Lake City, Washington DC 2025: 1 - Austin, Columbus, Denver, Hartford, Nashville, New York, Philadelphia (rumored), Tampa (rumored) Given the fact that Nations League finals and Gold Cup matches were generally in the West, Midwest, or Texas, 2025 arguably will go down as the most balanced scheduling for the national team in years. Note that this doesn't include matches where USSF doesn't have full control of scheduling, even if it has significant informal influence. For example, Austin has also gotten 2 Gold Cup matches too. Kansas City has seen 3 Gold Cup matches and 1 Copa America match. Dallas (not even listed above) has received 5 matches across the Gold Cup, Nations League finals, and Copa America).
When you say we are you referring to USMNT fans, or fans of "insert national team opponent here" who live in the USA? The USMNT will take Paraguay at Subaru Park in Chester, PA in the November window. Breaking news:The #USMNT will play at Subaru Park in November https://t.co/J5LvcVVocM via @PhillyInquirer— Jonathan Tannenwald (@thegoalkeeper) September 5, 2025
There was a small amount. USSF really pushed to have all their games on one coast or the other. I'm not really sure if they pushed for the West Coast or not, but they didn't want to change time zones. They got assigned the West Coast. USSF had no real input into the actual cities in general -- cities bid and FIFA selects based on money more than anything. I'm not sure even a single city got rejected so much as many opted out because FIFA demands are one sided.
The game in Harrison appears to be close to sold out. Predicting 30% Sonny fans, 20% South Korea Fans, 50% US fans.
I would assume there’s a heavy overlap between the Son and South Korea fans. But yeah, the opponent is likely the biggest reason this game sold out immediately and tickets were reselling for $250+
Well nearly all SK fans would be Sonny fans but probably not the other way around. For instance if he was out injured a large contingent would not be there
The Athletic reported today that Portugal and Belgium are expected to be the US opponents in March 2026. I presume that this would change if the US is placed in one of their World Cup groups. McIntyre says Portugal may be scheduled in Atlanta, with Belgium potentially in the DC area. https://www.foxsports.com/stories/s...p-tune-up-against-cristiano-ronaldos-portugal
Belgium and Portugal are currently projected as Pot 1 teams, so unless that changes, they shouldn't have a chance to be drawn into our group.
Makes sense. Since the US is automatically in Pot 1, I haven't really been paying too much attention yet to the others teams in that pot. What interests me is that McIntyre's phrasing suggests to me that there is a chance that Baltimore would get the Belgium match rather than DC. Baltimore does have the advantage of having a good NFL stadium.
The city of Chicago has its new downtown MLS stadium approved and is now on track for opening in 2028. Likely a venue in which we will be seeing the US national team play matches. https://chicago.suntimes.com/fire/2...ty-council-approval-south-loop-stadium-the-78 Miami appears to be on track to open in 2026. The NYCFC stadium in Queens appears to be on track to open in 2027. Chicago is now on for 2028. A shame that the stadium in Boston is facing never-ending delays, because that's the one that I really want to see built. The Kraft crusade to destroy Boston's mayor - and the absolute curbstomping that she recently gave to Josh Kraft - probably is not helping here.
I would love to see a World Cup Qualifier next cycle here in Chicago. Against any Caribbean team or teams like Canada or Panama.
I desperately hope that part of the Pittsburgh Highmark Stadium renovation is switching to a natural grass field. My hometown is one of the largest cities to have never hosted a USMNT game, and 15K would be the perfect size for a Nations League QF or a friendly against a B or C tier country with a small diaspora.
I don't think the USMNT will ever play a 15k stadium unless there's a last minute move or something. Highmark is a cool stadium; no knock, but I suspect that even with the renovation it will seem too small time for a USMNT match.
Happens about as often as Tyler Adams breaks into the opponent's box and is brought down for a penalty. Wakemed NC.
1st game after the Couva disaster. It was a very strange vibe, felt like a funeral. Great intimate venue though.
I saw the US vs Paraguay in St Louis in some tiny stadium way back in the 90's? Jose Luis Chilavert was their keeper and Twellman and another player got to practice with the team (he was a U20 I think) and he ended ups banging on my drums during the game. I'd never played drums in a game but brought them and got cold feet. He inspired me to play for years as if he was brave enough why couldn't I? He did not ask what are we doing.